Update 12/16
Testing this morning, I stand by my initial impressions below. There is a modest improvement when driving at speed, but to me that's about all I can sense with my truck. Of course, the greatly reduced steering whine has been just awesome.
On the way into work, I gave some thought to the behavior issue stated in my update from yesterday. Thinking it could be at least in part due to the stock steering stabilizer, I went ahead and installed the Fox ATS unit to see what would improve. Let me tell you, the difference is immense. The truck really does operate like a whole new vehicle with the Fox installed. There is still the expected on-center vagueness and it still handles like a solid axle vehicle, but the steering wheel returns (mostly) right back to center and the steering in general is as nimble as ever. I think the Fox + Owl pump is a great combo and as long as you do both it will definitely make your vehicle handle completely differently. Pump alone, unfortunately, isn't enough.
So what about the steering assist loss I was experiencing previously? That still exists, but it's not as pronounced. And im beginning to wonder if perhaps this isn't much different from the stock pump. With a full stock setup, the steering was slow and heavy enough that you could never really swing the wheel quickly one way or the other. But with the new pump and stabilizer, the wheel is much lighter so it's easier for you to outpace the pump's ability to move fluid from one lock to another.
I ran into a review from Top Gear that summarizes this well:
"What hasn’t yet stopped irritating – and probably won’t – is the hopeless turning circle and the power steering’s inability to keep up the assistance when you’re hauling lock on and off quickly. That’s a workout I could do without."
I will still swing by Owl to see if my experience is within spec or not. But im now guessing that it probably is and that these pumps in general (stock and Owl) are simply not capable of delivering consistent assist in fast lock to lock turning like any modern SUV.
Update 12/15
I've discovered some behavior that concerns me a bit. If you swing the wheel quickly to one side and then try to go back the other way right after, it is very difficult to move the wheel. During normal driving this isn't an issue, but if you needed to avoid an obstacle quickly, you might run into a real issue with this. To me, it's as if you completely lose assist since the pump can't keep up. I've reached out to Owl and they asked me to bring it back to the shop for evaluation.
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Today I had the Owl Steering Pump Upgrade installed in my 2024 Grenadier. Now that i've had a bit of time with it, I feel comfortable sharing some thoughts.
I purchased this pump primarily to eliminate the stock pump’s whine. There’s nothing worse than listening to that squeal while cruising through the desert. Any additional benefits that were advertised, such as reduced wandering or improved return to center, were simply icing on the cake for me. My truck still has the stock steering stabilizer installed, so the effects described below should be attributable solely to the new pump.
Let's jump into Owl's claims:
• Steering wheel now returns smoothly to center
Not really, at least not on my vehicle.
Again, not really on my vehicle. No pump is going to change the way a recirculating ball steering box feels.
My truck never really wandered on the freeway in the first place. Since the wheel does tend to push back to center at higher speeds, one could say the new pump does help with "wander". Perhaps the difference is more notable for those with an upgraded steering stabilizer.
• Gets rid of the steering pump noise
Yes. Mostly.
This is the noise from my stock pump.
And this is the noise from the Owl pump.
To me, the new pump sounds a lot like a Jeep Wrangler / Rubicon. That is to say, there is still some whining noise, but it's now heavily dampened and not noticeable with your windows down. You'd only hear it if you're right up against the wheel or have the hood up. The Owl pump sounds loud in the video, but that's only because of where the mic is located compared to the stock pump video. My estimate is a 90% or so reduction in whine, especially when heard from inside the vehicle.
One other thing I noticed is that the steering wheel no longer jumps when the pump turns on / off. Come to think of it, the new pump sounds like its always running whereas the stock pump went totally silent when it timed out (no steering input for 10 seconds or so).
Final Thoughts
Is it worth it? That really depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you absolutely can’t stand the sound of the stock pump, this may be a worthwhile upgrade. It certainly was for me, and I’m a big fan of Owl for addressing what has been one of the most common annoyances among Grenadier owners worldwide.
If you’re expecting a completely transformed driving experience, this pump isn’t going to deliver that. The improvements highlighted in Owl’s marketing are simply not very noticeable on my truck. They may become more apparent in time or with additional upgrades so I will update this review down the line.
Testing this morning, I stand by my initial impressions below. There is a modest improvement when driving at speed, but to me that's about all I can sense with my truck. Of course, the greatly reduced steering whine has been just awesome.
On the way into work, I gave some thought to the behavior issue stated in my update from yesterday. Thinking it could be at least in part due to the stock steering stabilizer, I went ahead and installed the Fox ATS unit to see what would improve. Let me tell you, the difference is immense. The truck really does operate like a whole new vehicle with the Fox installed. There is still the expected on-center vagueness and it still handles like a solid axle vehicle, but the steering wheel returns (mostly) right back to center and the steering in general is as nimble as ever. I think the Fox + Owl pump is a great combo and as long as you do both it will definitely make your vehicle handle completely differently. Pump alone, unfortunately, isn't enough.
So what about the steering assist loss I was experiencing previously? That still exists, but it's not as pronounced. And im beginning to wonder if perhaps this isn't much different from the stock pump. With a full stock setup, the steering was slow and heavy enough that you could never really swing the wheel quickly one way or the other. But with the new pump and stabilizer, the wheel is much lighter so it's easier for you to outpace the pump's ability to move fluid from one lock to another.
I ran into a review from Top Gear that summarizes this well:
"What hasn’t yet stopped irritating – and probably won’t – is the hopeless turning circle and the power steering’s inability to keep up the assistance when you’re hauling lock on and off quickly. That’s a workout I could do without."
I will still swing by Owl to see if my experience is within spec or not. But im now guessing that it probably is and that these pumps in general (stock and Owl) are simply not capable of delivering consistent assist in fast lock to lock turning like any modern SUV.
Update 12/15
I've discovered some behavior that concerns me a bit. If you swing the wheel quickly to one side and then try to go back the other way right after, it is very difficult to move the wheel. During normal driving this isn't an issue, but if you needed to avoid an obstacle quickly, you might run into a real issue with this. To me, it's as if you completely lose assist since the pump can't keep up. I've reached out to Owl and they asked me to bring it back to the shop for evaluation.
###
Today I had the Owl Steering Pump Upgrade installed in my 2024 Grenadier. Now that i've had a bit of time with it, I feel comfortable sharing some thoughts.
I purchased this pump primarily to eliminate the stock pump’s whine. There’s nothing worse than listening to that squeal while cruising through the desert. Any additional benefits that were advertised, such as reduced wandering or improved return to center, were simply icing on the cake for me. My truck still has the stock steering stabilizer installed, so the effects described below should be attributable solely to the new pump.
Let's jump into Owl's claims:
• Steering wheel now returns smoothly to center
Not really, at least not on my vehicle.
- Street: at low speeds, I notice little difference with return to center. U turns tend to have a bit more push back to center, but not to the extent I was expecting. You still need to pull the wheel back to center when driving below 50mph.
- Highway: at high speeds greater than 50mph, I can tell the steering wheel wants to stay center. Every move to the right or left tends to see the wheel come back to center quickly. I wouldn't say this is a huge difference, but absolutely noticeable.
Again, not really on my vehicle. No pump is going to change the way a recirculating ball steering box feels.
- Street: the difference is nearly imperceptible. The steering feels ever so slightly lighter than stock, but the on-center slack is the same.
- Highway: above 50mph, the vehicle is noticeably more nimble when changing lanes quickly. If I had to put a number on it, perhaps 10% more responsive, whatever that means to you. It certainly does not make the Grenadier drive like a modern SUV, but there is a certain snappiness that wasn't there on the stock setup. And to be clear, the steering slack is still there.
My truck never really wandered on the freeway in the first place. Since the wheel does tend to push back to center at higher speeds, one could say the new pump does help with "wander". Perhaps the difference is more notable for those with an upgraded steering stabilizer.
• Gets rid of the steering pump noise
Yes. Mostly.
This is the noise from my stock pump.
And this is the noise from the Owl pump.
To me, the new pump sounds a lot like a Jeep Wrangler / Rubicon. That is to say, there is still some whining noise, but it's now heavily dampened and not noticeable with your windows down. You'd only hear it if you're right up against the wheel or have the hood up. The Owl pump sounds loud in the video, but that's only because of where the mic is located compared to the stock pump video. My estimate is a 90% or so reduction in whine, especially when heard from inside the vehicle.
One other thing I noticed is that the steering wheel no longer jumps when the pump turns on / off. Come to think of it, the new pump sounds like its always running whereas the stock pump went totally silent when it timed out (no steering input for 10 seconds or so).
Final Thoughts
Is it worth it? That really depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you absolutely can’t stand the sound of the stock pump, this may be a worthwhile upgrade. It certainly was for me, and I’m a big fan of Owl for addressing what has been one of the most common annoyances among Grenadier owners worldwide.
If you’re expecting a completely transformed driving experience, this pump isn’t going to deliver that. The improvements highlighted in Owl’s marketing are simply not very noticeable on my truck. They may become more apparent in time or with additional upgrades so I will update this review down the line.
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